Well I had to have the LP sized Two DVD Limited Edition release of “10 Babymetal Budokan” on import from Japan and here it is. The first DVD features seven songs from the first of the 10 shows (January 19 2021) and another six from the second show (January 20). The second DVD sports seven songs from the ninth concert (April 14) and another six from the final show (April 15). So you get to see performances from four of the 10 shows, which is not bad. Due to the restrictions of Covid-19, they had to let fewer people in, which meant that they would not be able to make the big bucks that a run of shows like this would normaly generate. In spite of this, they opted to go with a full blown show that cost them an absolute fortune. My guess is that they blew a large chunk of the money that they had collected out of the “Metal Galaxy” concerts and general sales of t-shirts etc, to be able to do this. If you think that Babymetal is a money grabbing kind of situation, think again. They celebrated their 10th Anniversary in style and they gave us all everything they had. Or could. I hope the sales of the official releases from all this can help them to generate enough income to secure future moves. A giving attitude deserves as much.
The Babymetal crew knows how to capture a show on film. Multiple cameras, including drones, are capturing every moment with military precision. As the girls dance away everything is captured without flaw and the editing is just incredible. Babymetal is both a visual and a sonic delight. Put them in their right element (a big headlining show) and what you get is a theatrical experience that is second to none. The musicianship is superb, but the musicians are part of the bigger picture, and they are not supposed to be the focal point. You see them every now and then, but the cameras are focusing (and rightly so) on the stars of the show. It is impossible not to be impressed with the passion that they put into every second of every song.
The end result is a show that takes you on a journey that is a feast on the senses. It is supremely powerful, highly emotional and so full of life. They deserve a medal for giving the Metal community such a phenomenal boost of new life. The openings of these DVDs are very different, but both are incredible to watch each in their own way. The amount of thought that has gone into this is next level. You just sit there and watch this unfold and they make it look so easy. Trust me, there is nothing easy here, hundreds of little details could derail this show. The fact that they can pull it off is quite remarkable. There are so many highlights on display here it is just silly, but the climax of the final show is really something else. Su-metal has a long history of hitting gongs on Babymetal shows, but here she gets to hit 10 of them as they suddenly appears at the end of the show. Each gong represents a piece of Babymetal history. Fans can recognise the symbols. This is a moment for the history books and it is pure magic. I have to ask myself, where is the competiton? No, really! Where is it? Babymetal kicks the shit out of the competiton and they are not only powerful as they execute these shows, but cute and polite and always smiling as well. They make it look so easy. Got to love that.
(My shots of said release, and a few snapshots captured from the action on screen – thank you Kalle for helping me secure a copy, much appreciated)
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trinkelbonker 